Small Space Home Office Inspiration from Room & Board

Last week home furnishings retailer, Room & Board, invited us to their massive Culver City showroom to preview their Fall accessories line, showcasing a mix of classic and modern timeless designs. We were there specifically to check out what was available for small space dwellers looking to maximize their home office space, and surprisingly, there was plenty to browse and inspire for anyone looking to create a workspace in unexpected spaces...

If you're really strapped for space and use a laptop, a leaning desk unit could be a practical choice, thanks to a small footprint and usable vertical storage. The Pisa 92h Leaning Desk offers just enough room for a standard 15" laptop and a compact task light, with a few shelves overhead for storage. Place one of these alongside unused wall space, like in the bedroom, kitchen or even a hallway.

Oh, how we love Tivoli Audio. A whole spectrum of Tivoli Model One radios are available starting at a reasonable $150...an easy way to add both tech and splash of colorful design into the home office space without actually taking up much room. Now if they only would add Airplay compatibility to these compact units!

Ask us what our favourite piece we saw during our visit and we'd reply it wasn't furnishing, lighting or even the radios above. The designs we most coveted were from artist Aurelie Tu, a collection of geometric wall art pieces, Rhynd and Horus, all assembled by women and youth in transition in Portland, Oregon, and exhibiting a mathematical beauty of colour, texture and shape that would look equally striking in a home office or living room.

We're predicting some of you might be balking at the price of many of these pieces. But it's worth noting the vast majority of Minneapolis based Room & Board's products are made in the USA; 90% of their products are made in right here, and they told us they're aiming for 95% soon. That's impressive in a market where most retailers are lucky to be offering 25% domestically constructed furnishings, and thus the price reflects this philosophy of better for a little more, something we wholeheartedly endorse.